Sealed binding-strap



(No Model.) I

F. W. BLACKER.

, v SEALED BINDING STRAP.

No zgmzs. 1 Patented Jan. 1, 1884.

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' PATENT @rricn.

FRANCIS W. BLACKER, WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

SEALED BIN SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters DING-STRAP.

Patent No. 291,025, dated January 1, 1884.

Application filed October 18, 1883. (1\*o model.)

in such a manner that they cannot be removed without the knowledge of the parties sending or receiving the articles so sealed, thus protecting inclosed goods from being tampered with or stolen while in transit.

The accompanying drawingsillustrate. this improvement as affixed to an ordinary packing-box, one corner of the box and a portion of the strap only being shown.

Figure 1 shows the strap in position and sealed. Fig. 2 showsthe strap in process of being applied.

This process is as follows: One end of the strap S, Fig. 2-, is fastened, as at s, by a nail, A, or its equivalent driven into the box or case to be protected, the free end of the strap being shown bent back for this piirpose. The strap is then bent back upon itself, as at s, a rivet, It, having been previously inserted in a hole made for the purpose. The free endis drawn around the box and lapped over the part already doubled, receiving the-rivet R in a suitably-made hole, the rivet being then headed down, preferably onto a washer, as

shown in Fig. 1.

In drawing the strap around the box, there is a liability of the doubled end, 8 Fig. 2, pulling up, to prevent which a nail, A, Fig. 1, is driven through the strap to receive the strain.

I11 order to get at the contents of abox protected by straps, it is necessary to remove them, and as ordinarily put on it is an easy matter to do this and replace them, so as not to show that they have been tampered with.

Myimproved strap can be removed only by destroying the rivet, or drawing the nail and slipping off the strap sidewise. The nail being near the edge of the box, the strap being wide enough to prevent pulling the nail up by its edge, and the rivet as near the nail head as it can be conveniently inserted, it follows that the nail cannot be withdrawn without destroying the rivet, or by so marring the strap as to show at once that it had been tampered with. 5 5 So long as the rivet remains intact the nail must remain in place, and the strap can neither be unwrapped from the box nor slipped off side= wlse.

From the fact that it would be a matter beyond the skill of the ordinary thief to remove the rivet and replace it with a new one with out leaving tell-tale marks on the strap, the plain rivet amounts to a practical protection; but to make it complete, I impress the headed part of the rivet with the forwarders seal or device by means of a steel punch, as indicated by the serrations in Fig. 1. In order to replace these rivets, the thief must possess a punch, and, it such duplication should exist, the forwarder can change his device as often as necessary. This arrangement of strap and the combination of the strap with anail and plain rivet amounts to a practical protection of the contents of any case having it properly applied, and with the sealed rivet the arrangement becomes a complete preventive of petty thieving, and is capable of limiting the operations of the most expert thief to a single act by an immediate change of the sealing device, as before described.

I prefer using asoft-metal rivet to more readily obtain a large-faced head for the reception of the seal, and to more readily receive the sealing impress.

. Instead of the nail a screw or any equivalent fastening may be used. The rivet may also be replaced by any device capable of fast ening down the strap end and receiving a seal which must be destroyed and obliterated in 0 order to free the strap end.

It is obvious that this device and method of protection are applicable to all kinds of cases and receptacles in which merchandiseis transported, by slight modifications, and may be used with straps of various materials.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secured by Letters Patent, is

1. A strap bent back upon itself forming a space between the two parts of the strap, in which space is inclosed the head of a nail or its equivalent, in combination with said nail and a rivet which fastens one end of said strap to the doubled end, the whole arranged substantially as and for the purpose specified. 2. The method of securing and sealingbindlngstraps by means of a nail or its equivalent, having its head inelosed in the space formed between two parts of the strap by bending said strap back uponitself, and a rivet by which one end of the strap is fastened to the doubled end, arranged substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. The method of sealing binding-straps by Y means of a nail, havingits head inelosed inthe space formed betweentwo parts of the strap by bending said strap back upon itself, and a 15 rivet uniting the end with the doubled part of the said strap, which rivet is impressed with a sealing device, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

I. W. BLAC'KER.

\Vitnesses:

:IDWA'RD 1C. HILL, :IDWARD F. Tommy 

